Analysis of cost of dressings in the care of burn patients.

This study aimed at analyzing the costs of material used in the occlusive dressings of burn patients. The subjects of the study were patients over the age of 18 years who were admitted to the Burns Unit of the Ribeirão Preto Medical School Clinical Hospital, University of São Paulo-Brazil, from 15 January to 11 September 1998. Data were collected concerning the costs and duration of bathing and dressing of these patients. We concluded that there was a positive relation between the real costs of the materials used and the percentage of the body surface burned. In addition, there was a positive correlation between the number of staff involved in care and the size of the burns. There was no significant difference between the cost of materials used in dressings for burns of different depths.

[Ethical and legal aspects of the nursing records of organ donors for transplant]. / Aspectos éticos e legais das anotações de enfermagem nos procedimentos de doação de órgãos para transplantes.

The objective of this study was to verify the ethical and legal aspects concerning the documentation of nursing practice in the organ donor's records. The records of the 12 organ donors admitted in a Brazilian University Hospital, from January/1992 to august/1996 were analysed. The donor consent was reported by nurses in 16.7% of the records. Defects that preclude legal value for the charting such as missing date or signature, erasure were found in 91.7% of the records.

[Fluid volume deficit: profile of defining characteristics in patients with burns]. / Déficit de volume de líquidos: perfil de características definidoras no paciente portador de queimadura.

The present study aimed at describing the profile of defining characteristics in patients with the nursing diagnosis "Fluid volume deficit" related to active loss of fluid secondary to burns. Data were collected by means of a tool, containing 29 possible defining characteristics of this diagnosis. Seven nurses, that worked at the Burnt Unit for at least five years ago, provided opinions about the degree to which each defining characteristic is indicative of this diagnosis. Nurses rated each defining characteristic of diagnosis being tested on a scale of zero to one. The results confirmed all, except one (increased body temperature) defining characteristics presented by NANDA for this diagnosis and indicated 10 new defining characteristics.